And another week flies by...

Well, I have to say that truly I'm amazed it's already been another week. My time has really been filled with a lot while I've been here. My schedule is still the same basically as what I wrote on my blog earlier, but it seems that this past week was just so filled up!

Anyway, I'm surprised I feel so busy really- Jana knows how sucked into things I can get and she basically prayed and convinced me into going to the pool with the team. I was really really glad I went in the end, but it took me a while to get over the shock and guilt of being at this place. It was a really nice resort with an amazingly huge pool and there were people who served you food. It was too nice for me to handle for a bit, I didn't know how I felt about it. I mean, for us in America going to a pool is like a fun family event that we are all used to! But here in Africa, well, I dunno how many people can actually do stuff like that- at least I'm pretty sure no one I know would pay to get into the place we went swimming at. Anyway, I was thankful for the blessing of being able to spend time there just relaxing, goofing off, having a good time. It's amazing how something that simple in America for us (I mean, how many times do we hear people with a pool say "oh, I'm bored with it now, you just get used to it") can have so much meaning here in Africa.

I have also been praying over Rina, Diana's baby. I mentioned this last time, but I haven't gone into detail as to what's been going on with her. Let me give you a little picture of what's been happening with this- I'm really going to give you reality of what's happened.

So, when I first met Rina, Diana said that she had the flu. Her nose was all stopped up and she was coughing a lot. Well, the next time I saw Diana (it was thursday when I first really got to visit with Diana and Rina, the next time I saw Diana it was Sunday) she said she had taken Rina to the clinic to get medicane and that day a lady named Faith and her began to pray for her and something crazy happened where Rina's eyes rolled to the back of her head and then they cast something out of her so then she was ok and her eyes came back forward, but she was still sick- I was shocked because I had just seen these guys on Thursday and all that happened on Saturday night. I really still don't understand what exactly happened that night.

Then the next time I see Diana Rina is spitting up everything she drinks, they now think she is over the flu and has malaria. So they get many shots for her, I even went into the clinic to see what they did. It's nothing like America, let me just make that clear- Diana didn't even know what medicane they were giving her. So she is now able to not spit up everything, but I was getting really concerned because if she was spitting up everything then she was going to be very dehydrated.

I was informed by a missionary here that when people get sick here, it's only one of three things: the flu, malaria, or HIV. So, really if someone just has allergies, it could be that, but they assume it's the flu. So, I don't really know what Rina has been dealing with!

Yesterday I found out that they pricked her finger and found malaria, so I guess now she is "officially" diagnosed with malaria.

She is doing a little better, but they are still saying that she is sick (she is, I have seen her coughing still and she's breathing only through her mouth) I think maybe she just needs time to get better, but, I don't even really know how malaria effects someone.

There are many factors that could lead to Rina's sickness- first of all proper hygiene is something we all take for granted in the states. For them, I almost feel as if it is a luxury. So, I'm just saying that they just don't live perfectly sanitary lives. So, this of course in the Western frame of mind is the reason why Rina is so sick. But then there are other factors, like the fact that a witchdoctor lives only a few doors down from Diana's house, like the whole thing that happened with the demon they cast out on saturday night, like the fact that one of the ladies had a vision that a man in black was carrying Rina away so they got together and prayed for her. Anyway, I don't really know what's going on, all I know is that this is the reality I have been thinking about and praying about over here.

So, I tell all this to you so that you can also be praying for Rina and Diana. I care about them very much, and they trust God but I'm sure they are scared- they get very worried about Rina and it really effects them. Sorry for the long story, and maybe this was a little too intense for some people, I hope that you aren't scared by what is going on, because I trust the Lord even when I don't even understand what's happening. Honestly, I'm just as confused and in a place of not understanding as you might be when you are reading this. So, please just lift up this situation in prayer!